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Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned

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Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry.

Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.comIf you’ve spent any time in Wisconsin, and cocktails are your thing, then you’ve probably tasted the unofficial state cocktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned.

It’s so widely popular that native Wisconsinites refuse to believe that an Old Fashioned cocktail uses anything other than brandy.

The Old Fashioned Cocktail

The Old Fashioned Cocktail takes up its place in the list of the most basic classic cocktails along with the Martini and the Manhattan.

The Old Fashioned started as a simple combination of Whisky, Angostura bitters, sugar, and water. But, as it grew in popularity, so did the variations.

A Brandy Old Fashioned

Why brandy?

Apparently at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, a new brandy distiller from California called Korbel was sampling their spirits.

Korbel began pouring the classic “Old Fashioned” whiskey cocktail using brandy, and the German crowd from Milwaukee took to the brandy and the cocktail in a big way.

(So much so, in fact, that Korbel still sells more brandy in Wisconsin than in any other individual state.)

Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.comBrandy Old Fashioned Sweet or Sour?

In Wisconsin, the default way to make a Brandy Old Fashioned is with a splash of Sprite or 7-up, making it “sweet.”

But, don’t think you have to stop there.

You can also make it with sour mix or a sour soda (often Squirt), making it “sour.” You can get fancy, and make it “press,” with a combination of 7-up and seltzer. Or, you can skip all the fanciness and simply add seltzer.

Don’t Forget To Garnish

While the bubbly filler is up to your discretion, the orange and cherry garnish for a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned is non-negotiable.

In fact, to give a bit of added fruit flavor to the drink, some bartenders will muddle orange slices and cherries with the bitters and sugar. That’s how we prefer ours and the way we’ve crafted our recipe below.

If you don’t have a muddler, don’t worry. Just mix the drink without muddling (do be sure the sugar gets dissolved in the first step) and simply squeeze the orange slice you use for garnish into the drink for that extra splash of flavor.

Cheers!

Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

4.37 from 22 votes
Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com
Print This Recipe
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic cocktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brandy, cockail, Wisconsin
Servings: 1 person
Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
Ingredients
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 orange slice (plus extra for garnish)
  • 2 Maraschino cherries or brandied cherries (plus extra for garnish)
  • 2 oz brandy
  • 2-3 ice cubes
  • Sprite, 7-up, Squirt, sour mix, or seltzer (as desired to top off the drink)
Instructions
  1. Place the sugar, bitters, orange slice, and cherries in an Old Fashioned glass. Add a splash of water. Muddle*, being careful to avoid the orange rind, until the sugar has dissolved.

  2. Add the brandy and a couple of ice cubes. Stir.

  3. Top the drink off with your choice of soda, sour mix, or seltzer.
  4. Garnish with a skewered orange slice and cherry, if desired.
Recipe Notes

*If you don't have a muddler, don't worry. Just mix the drink without muddling (do be sure the sugar gets dissolved in the first step) and simply squeeze the orange slice you use for garnish into the drink for that extra splash of flavor.

 

Comments

  1. Great recipe! Depending on how far ”Up North’ you get there are a few differences. I didn’t see orange slices on an old fashion till far after my 21st in a fancier bar. Olives, brussel sprouts, and mushrooms are classic toppings to Old Fashions where I’m from. Probably the most classic order I hear is a Brandy Old Fashion sweet with olives (but that’s from my family!), cherry’s would be a close second. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was conducting a little
    homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch due
    to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this….
    Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this subject here on your internet site.

    Reply

  4. I just came back from Wisconsin Dells, where I had my very first Old Fashioned cocktail. This recipe sounds exactly how the bartender made it. Excited to try .

    Reply

      • We moved from WI after 71 years and been in Pensacola Florida for 3!…Believe me bartenders here have no clue on how to make them!!Don’t miss the weather, but miss the neighborhood bars and my Korbel old fashioned press! Just make at home!..Everything you said about WI is so true!!

      • Thanks Joy! It’s so funny how specific we are with our Old Fashioneds! But other places just don’t get it! Enjoy the FL weather!

      • Bitters actually taste, well, bitter. I personally wouldn’t take a teaspoon of them straight. But, by adding just a few drops to a drink they work to add a really unique depth of flavor that is characteristic of this drink. Enjoy!

  7. One small but critical substitution: drop the maraschino cherry in favor of fresh Door County Cherries! That’s the Wisco Way

    Reply

  8. I’m currently reading “The Devil in the White City.” It’s about the Chicago World Fair (and a serial killer), I wonder if they’ll mention the cocktail! I’ve actually never had an Old Fashioned, buy my MIL enjoys them.

    Reply

    • How fun! (Well, maybe not the serial killer part.) It would be interesting to do some more reading on the Chicago Worlds Fair!

      Reply

    • Just finished Devil in the White City, loved the book but don’t think there was mention of an old fashioned.Love them too but can’t get a good one in TX. It’s all about the whisky here.

      Reply

  13. What’s not to love about this libation!?? It’s getting pinned to the Beverage Board and will be served along side our beloved Beer Brats the next time we make them! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

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